University of the Virgin
Islands Associate Professor of Education Suzy Harney, Ph.D., is one
of only 11 educators nationwide who have been accepted into a
highly competitive "bridge to business" post-doctoral program at
Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business. The 8-week program,
which began June 1, was conceived to help alleviate the critical
national shortage of business-school faculty.
Dr. Harney, who teaches statistics as well as tests and measurements at UVI, holds a B.A., M.B.A. and Ph.D. from Ohio University. Dr. Harney specializes in research and is coordinator of the SPARC - Special Projects and Applied Research Center at UVI - which assists faculty and staff in the academic divisions with grant writing, research, and the pursuit of funding for professional development.
According to Dr. Joane McKay, Dean of UVI's Education Division, upon completion of the "bridge to business" program, Dr. Harney will be qualified to hold an interdisciplinary appointment at UVI - which will allow her to teach in both the Education and Business Divisions at UVI.
Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business was among four U.S. business schools last year that launched "bridge-to-business" programs that have been approved by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCB). The AACSB is the accrediting organization for business schools worldwide. The programs are designed to prepare individuals with Ph.D.s in non-business, but related disciplines, to forge new careers as business faculty members.
Program participants, in addition to Dr. Harney, hold doctorates
from noted institutions including: Auburn, Clemson, the Colorado
School of Mines, Johns Hopkins, North Carolina State, Ohio,
Southern Methodist, Texas A&M, Utah, Virginia Tech and
Wisconsin. They are currently teaching (in addition to UVI) at
Concordia College, Dallas, Howard, Marshall, McNeese State, Minot
State, Penn Sate, Sam Houston State and West Carolina State.
The Pamplin College of Business is accredited by AASCB
International - the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business. During the 8-week post-doctoral Bridge to Business
program the participants are given the tools to teach and undertake
research within a business school.